Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), their scholarships were abruptly terminated after a funding freeze ordered by President Donald Trump when he returned to office in January.

"It was heart-breaking," one student told the BBC, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals. "Everyone was shocked and crying. We've been told we will be sent back within two weeks." Since regaining power nearly four years ago, the Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on women, including banning them from universities.

US aid funding had enabled thousands of Afghan women to study abroad or continue education online, but many of these programmes are now suspended. The Trump administration's aid freeze has faced legal roadblocks but thousands of humanitarian programmes around the world have been terminated or thrown into jeopardy as the White House seeks to cut billions in government spending. The students in Oman say preparations are already under way to return them to Afghanistan, and have appealed to the international community to "intervene urgently". The BBC has seen emails sent to the 82 students informing them that their scholarships have been "discontinued" due to the termination of the programme and USAID funding.

The emails - which acknowledge the news will be "profoundly disappointing and unsettling" - refer to travel arrangements back to Afghanistan, which caused alarm among the students. "We need immediate protection, financial assistance and resettlement opportunities to a safe country where we can continue our education," one told the BBC.

The USAID website's media contact page remains offline. The BBC has contacted the US State Department for comment. The Afghan women, now facing a forced return from Oman, had been pursuing graduate and post-graduate courses under the Women's Scholarship Endowment, a USAID programme which began in 2018.